'Greedy lifestyle'

This included £4m from the sale of a house in The Circus in Bath; an £88,000 parking spot; a luxury villa in Limassol, Cyprus; a £345,000 Sunseeker motorcruiser as well as a family home in Somerset.

McCormick, who was due to be released from jail soon, received a default sentence of 842 days in prison after refusing to meet a £1.8m shortfall following a hearing at North Somerset Magistrates' Court.

Det Insp Peter Highway, from the South West Regional Organised Crime Unit, said: "When McCormick was sentenced both the judge and senior officer made reference to his 'obscene' and 'outrageous profits' and 'greedy, extravagant lifestyle'.

"Following Avon and Somerset's successful criminal investigation, our team has worked on an international basis to seize money and assets from him and, based on his refusal to meet the shortfall, this work will continue."